Ticker-symbol lookup system and method

ABSTRACT

System and method for populating a list with at least one investment vehicle ticker descriptor. A system and method are presented for robustly looking up a ticker symbol for investment vehicle and efficiently adding the ticker symbol to a linked investment list.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to the following co-pending applications,which are each hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety: U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/323,875, entitled TICKER-SYMBOL LOOKUPSYSTEM AND METHOD, by Bolivar C. Lora, filed Dec. 31, 2005, and U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/323,707, entitled TICKER-SYMBOL LOOKUPSYSTEM AND METHOD, by Bolivar C. Lora, also filed Dec. 31, 2005.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosed embodiments relate generally to a system and method forpopulating a list with ticker symbols or other descriptors forinvestment vehicles.

BACKGROUND

A stock ticker is a scrolling display of current or recent securityprices and trading volumes. Ticker symbols composed of only a fewletters are widely used in the United States to identify shares ofcommon stocks on a stock ticker. Ticker symbols are also used toidentify securities of mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs), aswell as some options and some market indices.

Securities identified by one- or two-letter ticker symbols are traded onthe New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), securities identified by threeletter ticker symbols are traded on either the NYSE or American StockExchange (AMEX), and securities identified by four- and five-letterticker symbols are traded on the NASDAQ (an electronic stock marketoriginally known as the “National Association of Securities DealersAutomated Quotations”).

Securities identified by five-letter ticker symbols are usually in aspecial class, i.e., something other than a common stock. For example,ticker symbols for mutual funds must be five letters long and end in theletter “X”.

Securities of companies in bankruptcy are identified with a tickersymbol having the letter “Q” added as the last letter. In addition,securities of companies having ticker symbols that end in a period (“.”)followed by the letters “PK” are “pink sheet” companies, which, with theexception of a few foreign issuers, tend to be closely held, extremelysmall or thinly traded.

Creating an investment list at a web page (e.g., of a financial servicescompany) is generally a ticker-symbol-dependent process. For example, inorder to complete a list of target investments (e.g., as in a watchlistof prospective investments) or a list of actual investments (e.g., as ininvestment list 140 of the “Retirement Plan Questionnaire” of FIG. 1),an investor typically enters a ticker symbol for each company or mutualfund represented in his/her potential target portfolio (as in the caseof a watchlist of prospective investments) or his/her actual portfolio(as in the case of a “Retirement Plan Questionnaire” of FIG. 1).

Entering a ticker symbol for a company or a mutual fund in an investmentlist frequently presents a difficulty for an investor who knows one ormore words in the name of the company or mutual fund, but who does notknow the ticker symbol for securities of that company or mutual fund. Anexample would be an investor knows that the words “Coca Cola” are partof the name of a company in his/her portfolio of equity securities, butwho does not know the ticker symbol for that company's securities.Mutual funds are similarly the subject matter of this situation. Anexample would be an investor who readily identifies a mutual fund inwhich he/she holds a position by words in the name of the mutual fund(e.g., “Vanguard Energy”) but who does not know the five-letter tickersymbol for that mutual fund (e.g., “VGENX” for Vanguard Energy FundInvestor Shares).

In order to help investors generate accurate investment lists, websitesof many financial services companies provide a “Symbol Lookup” button(or the like). The operation of an associated ticker symbol lookup toolis generally straight-forward. For example, if an investor types “CocaCola” into a tool's “Symbol Lookup” field and then selects the adjacent“Lookup” button (or a similar action button), an output of companies andticker symbols similar to the output noted in Table 1 is returned.Depending on the ticker symbol database utilized by the ticker symbollookup tool, the ticker symbol for one or more pink sheet securitiesmight also be returned. Pink sheet securities for “Coca Cola” companiesare listed in Table 2.

TABLE 1 Ticker Symbols for Companies Having “Coca Cola” in Their NameCompany Name Ticker Symbol Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated COKECoca-Cola Company, The KO Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. CCE Coca-ColaFEMSA, S.A. de C.V. KOF Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, S.A. CCH

After reviewing company names and ticker symbols (or other relatedinformation) in an output like that of Table 1, the investor mayidentify the ticker symbol that represents the “Coca Cola” company thatis part of his/her portfolio. For example, after reviewing theindividual company names and ticker symbols of Table 1, the investor mayrealize that he/she owns shares of The Coca-Cola Company, which has “KO”as its ticker symbol. The investor may then copy the ticker symbol “KO”from the output of the ticker symbol lookup tool into a “Ticker Symbol”field of his/her list of actual investments.

FIG. 1 represents a web page (i.e., Retirement Plan Questionnaire)similar to one previously used by a financial services company to helpaccount holders summarize investment and banking accounts. The pageincludes a traditional ticker symbol lookup tool 141. FIG. 2 is aRetirement Plan Questionnaire similar to the one depicted in FIG. 1.FIG. 2 depicts preset inputs on drop-down menu 242 that appears if“Select” is chosen under Investment Type. “Other” at 246 is the lastchoice on drop-down menu 242. A position in “Coca-Cola Co.,” as enteredat 243 under the Description heading, is listed as an “Other” InvestmentType at 245 in FIG. 2 (this position has been added in a fourth rowversus the investment list 140 of FIG. 1).

Unlike the investor who reviewed an output like that of Table 1, anotherinvestor may bypass using a ticker symbol lookup tool. The fourth rowunder Investment Type in the Retirement Plan Questionnaire in FIG. 2provides a likely example. The investor who completed this form selected“Other” at 245 in FIG. 2 as describing the Investment Type for his/herposition in a Coca-Cola® company. The selection of “Other” allows aninvestor to complete an entry row in the Questionnaire without enteringa ticker symbol.

The selection of “Other” may be made for a variety of reasons. Forexample, the investor may own “pink sheet” securities of a Coca-Cola®company, and, because “pink sheet” securities typically are only thinlytraded (and often not included in the output of ticker symbol lookuptools), the investor may decide to bypass using the ticker symbol lookuptool. The investor may simply want to avoid entering a ticker symbol fora “pink sheet” security. By selecting “Other” under Investment Type, theinvestor can avoid such an entry.

TABLE 2 Ticker Symbols for “Pink Sheet” “Coca Cola” Companies CompanyName Ticker Symbol COCA COLA AMATIL LTD CCLAF.PK COCA COLA AMATIL LTDCCLAY.PK COCA COLA FEMSA SA D COCSF.PK COCA COLA HELLENIC CCHOF.PK COCACOLA HELLENIC CCHBF.PK COCA COLA JAPAN CO CCOJF.PK COCA COLA WEST JAPANCCWJF.PK COLAS SA BOULOGNE COABF.PK PANAMA COCA COLA BOT PCOK.PK

For this or variety of other possible reasons, the investor whocompleted the Retirement Plan Questionnaire of FIG. 2 either did not useticker symbol lookup tool 241, or, if he/she did use the tool, he/shedid not copy the ticker symbol for the “Coca Cola” company in whichhe/she held an equity position into the separate investment list in theQuestionnaire. The investor instead selected “Other” at 245 underInvestment Type and entered “Coca-Cola Co.” at 243 under Description.Each field under Description in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a text input field when“Other” is selected under Investment Type.

Many types of ticker symbol lookup tools are available other than tools141 and 241 of FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively. For example, an “Auto TickerSuggest” tool (set to “Company Name” with “Exact Match” checked)available through an “Advanced Search” link at www.smartmoney.comcreates an alphabetical scroll of candidate company names (and assignedticker symbols) on entry of candidate letters for a company name intothe “Search Term” field of the tool.

If a user enters the letters “COC” using the “Company Name” option inthe “Search Term” field of such an “Auto Ticker Suggest” tool (with“Exact Match” checked) in order to look up the ticker symbol for TheCoca-Cola Company, nine company names (and their assigned tickersymbols) as noted in Table 3 are returned in alphabetical order on adrop-down scroll.

TABLE 3 Company Names (and Assigned Ticker Symbols) Returned in a Scrollon Entry of “COC” in an “Auto Ticker Suggest” Tool Company Name (TickerSymbol) COCA COLA AMITIL LTD (CCLAY) COCA COLA BOTTLING CL CM (COKE)COCA COLA HELLENIC BTTLG (CCH) COCA-COLA CO (KO) COCA-COLA ENTERPRISESINC. (CCE) COCA-COLA FEMSA SA DE CV (KOF) COCONUT PALM ACQUISITION CORP(CNUT) COCONUT PALM ACQUISITION WTS (CNUTW) COCOPHILIPS W/I (COP#)

The Coca-Cola Company (ticker symbol: KO) appears in this output. If aninvestor has an equity position in The Coca-Cola Company (ticker symbol:KO), an investor must copy the “KO” ticker symbol from the drop-downscroll and re-enter it into his/her separate investment list (e.g., inorder to complete a ticker symbol entry in a Questionnaire like that ofFIG. 1).

A novice investor may naively consider short key words in a company name(e.g., “COCA COLA”) to be ticker symbols. Such a novice investor mayinput “COCA COLA” into an “Enter Symbol(s)” field of a quote toolavailable on a web page (e.g., of a financial services company). Afterselecting an adjacent “GO” button (or “SEARCH” or “LOOKUP” button or thelike), he/she likely will be met with responses like those given byquote tools at finance.yahoo.com, www.schwab.com and www.fidelity.com(Table 4). Each of these quote tools interprets “COCA COLA” asrepresenting ticker symbols for two separate companies.

TABLE 4 Responses on Entering “COCA COLA” into “Enter Symbol(s)” FieldResponse through Line Message finance.yahoo.com 1 ‘coca’ is no longervalid. It has changed to COCA.PK. 2 No such ticker symbol. Look upsymbol for “cola” www.schwab.com 1 Coastcast Corporation Co. 2 There isno information for this symbol. www.fidelity.com 1 Unknown symbols. Youmay look up the symbols. 2 —

Similarly, a novice investor who enters “Coca-Cola” (i.e., who includesa hyphen (“-”) between the words “Coca” and “Cola”) into an “EnterSymbol(s)” field of a quote tool likely will be met with responses likethose generated through finance.yahoo.com, www.schwab.com andwww.fidelity.com (Table 5).

TABLE 5 Responses on Entering “COCA-COLA” into “Enter Symbol(s)” FieldResponse through Line Message finance.yahoo.com 1 Invalid Ticker Symbol2 ‘coca-cola’ is not a valid ticker symbol. www.schwab.com 1 Noinformation is available for COCA-COLA. 2 — www.fidelity.com 1 Unknownsymbol. You may look up the symbol. 2 —

In short, these quote tools require that valid ticker symbols be enteredand submitted in order to provide price information on investments towhich the corresponding ticker symbols are assigned. These quote toolsare not robust in that they do not also return price information on theentry and submission of key words in the name of the investment (e.g.,“Coca Cola”) except in so far as these words are taken to be stockticker symbols. That is, these quote tools are not bothticker-symbol-based and investment-name-based lookup tools.

Many account holders of financial services companies often failaccurately to complete ticker-symbol entries on an investment list(particularly for mutual funds) despite the ready availability of tickersymbol lookup tools. Rather then use a ticker symbol lookup tool to findthe ticker symbol assigned to a mutual fund, some account holders, incompleting a Retirement Plan Questionnaire like the ones of FIGS. 1 and2, may select “Other” (e.g., as in the third row entries at 144 and 244under Investment Type of FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, and the fourth rowentry at 245 of FIG. 2; see also the last preset input 246 in theInvestment Type drop-down menu 242 of FIG. 2) and enter a name (oftenincomplete) under the Description column for a mutual fund in which theaccount holder has a position.

For example, the account holder(s) who completed the Questionnaires ofFIGS. 1 and 2 selected “Other” at 144 and 244, respectively, and entered“Vanguard Energy” at 147 and 247, respectively, under Description ratherthan entering under Ticker Symbol a ticker symbol for the “VanguardEnergy” fund that he/she owns. But the Vanguard® Group manages at leastthree “Vanguard Energy” mutual funds, as well as shares of an ETF(exchange traded fund) referred to as Vanguard Energy VIPERs (tickersymbol: VDE) (Table 6). The account holder's entries in theQuestionnaires depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 do not uniquely identify the“Vanguard Energy” fund in which the investor has a position.

TABLE 6 Ticker Symbols for “Vanguard Energy” Funds Fund Name TickerSymbol Vanguard Energy Fund Admiral Shares VGELX Vanguard Energy FundInvestor Shares VGENX Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares VENAXVanguard Energy VIPERs VDE

Similarly, consider an unmotivated account holder who, on completing aRetirement Plan Questionnaire similar to the ones depicted in FIGS. 1and 2, indicates an equity position in a “cola” company by bothselecting “Other” for Investment Type and entering under Description“the cola company.” This account holder has not made clear whetherhe/she is describing an equity position in The Coca-Cola Company (tickersymbol: KO), one of the many other companies that sell COCA-COLA®products (see Tables 1 and 2), or a competitor company such as the PepsiBottling Group Inc. (ticker symbol: PBG).

The accurate completion of some retirement or financial planningquestionnaires (or like forms) could be of such importance that afinancial services company providing the questionnaires may find itnecessary to dedicate several employees to the task of reviewing thedescriptions that account holders provide when they submit “Other” asidentifying an Investment Type in a questionnaire. For example, if anaccount holder made an ambiguous or inapposite Description entry whenusing “Other” to identify the Investment Type in a Questionnaire likethe ones of FIGS. 1 and 2, an employee of the financial services companycould be required to find and communicate with the account holder inorder to clarify that entry.

However, finding and communicating with potentially many account holdersin order to clarify entries made in association with selecting an entryof “Other” on questionnaires is a resource-draining “backroom”operation. In addition, a company who pursues such an operation couldrun a risk of being perceived as intrusive toward account holders (byoften communicating with account holders in order to clarify formentries).

In view of the foregoing, a need exists for improved systems and methodsto assist account holders and other users complete ticker-symbol-basedinvestment lists (e.g., for retirement plan questionnaires or financialplanning questionnaires) accurately and efficiently.

SUMMARY

In general, the disclosed embodiments are related to a system and methodfor robustly looking up a ticker symbol of a security (e.g., of acompany, mutual fund or ETF) or an option, wherein the system or methodincludes adding efficiently the ticker symbol (or name of the investmentor both the ticker symbol and the name of the investment) to a linkedinvestment list. In being both robust in ticker symbol lookupcapabilities, as well as efficient in adding ticker symbols or names ofan investment to a linked investment list, various embodiments enableaccount holders (or other users) to generate accurate investment listswith relative ease.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the disclosed embodiments and theirattendant advantages will be readily obtained and better understood byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings (it being understood that thedrawings contained herein are not necessarily drawn to scale); wherein:

FIG. 1, previously described in part, represents a web page (i.e.,Retirement Plan Questionnaire) similar to one previously used by afinancial services company to help account holders summarize investmentand banking accounts; the page includes traditional ticker symbol lookuptool 141;

FIG. 2, previously described in part, depicts preset inputs on drop-downmenu 242 that appears if “Select” is chosen under Investment Type in aRetirement Plan Questionnaire similar to the one depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment;

FIG. 4 represents a web page (i.e., Financial Planning Questionnaire)wherein the user is notified of the operation of an integrated robustlookup tool at 448;

FIGS. 5-8 depict drop-down menus if “Select” is chosen for Type ofRetirement Plan (FIG. 5), Account Owner (FIG. 6), Are any contributionsmade to this account? (FIG. 7) or Investment (FIG. 8) headers,respectively, in web pages like the one of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 9 & 10 represent examples of a web pages (i.e., Results Pages)that are returned on submitting “vanguard energy” (FIG. 9) or “cocacola” (FIG. 10) from the data entry field under Description or TickerSymbol in FIG. 4 through activating the integrated robust lookup tool byselecting the adjacent “ADD” button;

FIG. 11 illustrates a web page (i.e., Financial Planning Questionnaire)like that of FIG. 4 except that the user has entered a position in thestock of The Coca Cola Company (ticker symbol: KO) in the fourth rowunder Investment and Description or Ticker Symbol; and

FIG. 12 illustrates a computer system upon which an embodiment may beimplemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, these figures represent web pages ofRetirement Plan Questionnaires similar to ones previously used by afinancial services company. Referring to FIG. 1, the user who completedthis Retirement Plan Questionnaire has selected “Other” at 144 for entryof a $12,772 position in “Vanguard Energy.” Without a ticker symbol,whether the user is referring to shares in a company named “VanguardEnergy” or to one of several mutual funds in the Vanguard® Group thatincludes the words “Vanguard Energy” in the mutual fund name is notclear (see also Table 6). Referring to FIG. 2, the user who completedthe Retirement Plan Questionnaire has similarly selected “Other” at 245for entry of a $14,586 position in “Coca-Cola Co.” at 243. Without aticker symbol, the “Coca-Cola” company to which the user is referring isnot clear.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment where at START 310 acomputer system responds to a user opening a form (i.e., typicallyonline) for, at 320, initiating (or resuming) the building of a linkedinvestment list in which identification of investments is based in parton ticker symbols.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, in an initial creating of aninvestment list, or in a resumption in its building, the computer systemaccepts entry of, at 320 (from a user's input in a data entry field forDescription or Ticker Symbol or the like), an investment's ticker symbolor key words in the name of the investment (e.g., name of the company,mutual fund or ETF, or, in some embodiments, option name). At 330, thecomputer system then evaluates whether the input matches a single tickersymbol (Q1). More specifically, after the computer system accepts dataentered from a data entry field (e.g., on acceptance of the selection ofan “ADD” button adjacent to the data entry field), the computer systemsearches one or more investment vehicle databases with the input data.The search identifies matching valid ticker symbols. The computer systemmay accomplish simultaneously or subsequently (or have accomplishedpreviously) another search, which is diagrammed at 340, for othermatching preassigned descriptors, e.g., key words that occur in the nameof the investments that are stored in one or more investment vehiclesdatabases. That is, at 340, the computer system evaluates whether theinput matches only a single other preassigned descriptor (Q2).

If the search(es) in the one or more investment vehicle databasesresult(s) in a match to only one corresponding valid ticker symbol(i.e., Q1=YES), the computer system adds the ticker symbol or the nameof the investment represented by the ticker symbol (e.g., the name ofthe company, mutual fund, ETF or, in some embodiments, option) or bothto a linked investment list of the user (e.g., in a Financial PlanningQuestionnaire) at 380. In this manner, a computer system would havelikely added the “ticker symbol-company” pair “DELL-DELL INC” to thelinked investment list represented in the Questionnaire of FIG. 4. Invarious embodiments, the computer system also adds other information at380 (i.e., information in addition to the ticker symbol and the name ofthe investment represented by the ticker symbol) to the user's linkedinvestment list where a user has also submitted that other informationto the computer system (e.g., the market dollar value, or number ofshares, in a position of the user).

If, at 330, the search(es) in the one or more investment vehicledatabases do(es) not result in a match to only a single ticker symbol(i.e., Q1=NO), the computer system queries, at 340, whether the inputmatches only a single other preassigned descriptor of one investment(e.g., key word in the name of the investment) (Q2). If additional (orsimultaneous or previously accomplished) search(es) in the one or moreinvestment vehicle databases result(s) in a match to a only a singleother preassigned descriptor of an investment (i.e., Q2=YES), thecomputer system adds the name of the matching investment (e.g., company,mutual fund or ETF name, or, in some embodiments, option name) or itsticker symbol or both the name of matching investment and its tickersymbol to the user's linked investment list at 380.

If, at 340, the search(es) by the computer system of one or moreinvestment vehicle databases do(es) not result in only a single otherpreassigned descriptor for an investment being returned (i.e., Q2=NO),the computer system assesses at 350 whether multiple matches toinvestment vehicles may be (or were) obtained. If, at 350, the computersystem identifies multiple matches to ticker symbols or to otherpreassigned descriptors (e.g., numbers of the Committee for UniformSecurity Identification Procedures (CUSIP) for an option or a securityof a company, mutual fund or ETF, or key words in the name of thecompany, mutual fund, ETF or option) (i.e., Q3=YES), the computer systemprovides these multiple matches to a user (e.g., in a results page at360). The computer system may then receive a selection by the user at370 of a ticker symbol (or name) of an investment displayed on ResultsPage 360 corresponding to a position in an actual or target portfolio ofthe user. The computer system then adds, at 380 in a manner responsiveto the selection received at 370, the name of the selected investment(e.g., the name of the company, mutual fund, ETF or, in someembodiments, option) or its ticker symbol or both the name of selectedinvestment and its ticker symbol to the linked investment list of theuser, which forms a linked investment list (+1).

From 350 (i.e., Q3=NO) or 380, execution proceeds to 390 (Q4=DONE?). At390, building of the linked investment list may resume at 320 (i.e.,Q4=NO), or, if the computer system receives an input such as “DONE withthis account” (or the like) (i.e., Q4=YES), building of the linkedinvestment list ends.

Therefore, the described ticker symbol lookup tool or quote tool allows,with one tool, each of the following: A) valid ticker symbol(s) to besubmitted using the tool, and information on corresponding investment(s)to be routinely returned, or, B) key word(s) in the name of theinvestment (e.g., company or mutual fund) or other descriptor(s) (e.g.,CUSIP numbers) to be submitted using the tool, and information oncorresponding investment(s) (including, in some embodiments of suchtools, the ticker symbol of the investment) to be routinely returned,or, C) in some embodiments of such tools wherein multiple matches aremade, a list of candidate investments (wherein each candidate investmentis identified by ticker symbol or investment name or both) to beroutinely returned. In the context of various robust ticker symbollookup tool embodiments, a “ticker descriptor” is understood to includea valid ticker symbol for an investment vehicle and key words in thename of the investment vehicle. An “enhanced ticker descriptor” alsoincludes CUSIP numbers for the investment or investment vehicle.

In contrast, the previously-noted “Auto Ticker Suggest” tool availablethrough www.smartmoney.com operates under only one lookup option. Forexample, when the “Auto Ticker Suggest” tool is activated under the“Company Name” option, it does not routinely match ticker symbol entries(it only matches ticker symbol entries when these ticker symbols areincidentally part of a company name). Similarly, when the “Auto TickerSuggest” tool is activated under the “Stock [ticker symbol]” option, itdoes not routinely match entries of company names (it then only matchescompany names when these company names are incidentally also stockticker symbols). In short, the tool does not operate so as routinely toprocess both investment-name-based searches and ticker-symbol-basedsearches.

Furthermore, the scrolled output of the previously-noted “Auto TickerSuggest” tool is not linked to, or integrated into, an investment list.For example, if the ticker symbol “KO” (or the text “COCA-COLA CO”) islisted in a returned drop-down scroll, the ticker symbol “KO” is notadded directly by the tool to a linked investment list, and an investorcannot simply select (e.g., place a mouse click on) the ticker symbol“KO” (or the text “COCA-COLA CO”) in this scroll in order to add TheCoca-Cola Company or its ticker symbol “KO” to a linked investment list.That is, the tool also does not permit a ticker descriptor for aninvestment or investment vehicle to be added efficiently to a linkedinvestment list.

In various presently described embodiments, the computer system addsonly a ticker symbol or only a name of the matching investment (but notboth) to a linked investment list. In these embodiments, the linkedinvestment list generally comprises either only ticker symbols or onlynames of investments, respectively.

In various other embodiments, if the computer system does not match thedata entered (in its search(es) of one or more investment vehicledatabases) to only a single ticker symbol or only a single otherpreassigned descriptor for an investment (e.g., the computer systemmakes multiple matches), the computer system may prompt the user toinput and submit to the computer system from the data entry field a moreprecise “indication” for the investment (e.g., a valid ticker symbol oradditional key words from a name for the company, mutual fund, ETF or,in some embodiments, option). On receipt of the requested more precisedata, the computer system responsively runs (an) additional search(es)of one or more investment vehicle databases using the more precise data.If the computer system then finds only a single matching investment, thecomputer system adds the name of the matching investment (or its tickersymbol or both the name and the ticker symbol) to the linked investmentlist of the user.

In other embodiments, the computer system may prompt the user to submita more precise indication for an investment one or more additional timesif the computer system identifies multiple matches to ticker symbols orto other preassigned descriptors but the computer system does notidentify only a single match to a ticker symbol (i.e., preassignedsymbol) or other preassigned descriptor after (an) iteration(s) ofprompting and receiving more precise indication(s) for an investment.

In various embodiments, if the computer system continues to identifymultiple matches after providing one, two or more prompts to the user tosubmit a more precise descriptor (i.e., another “indication”) for theinvestment, the computer system may then present to the user an output(e.g., a “Results Page”; see also FIGS. 9 & 10) of names of matchingcandidate investments (i.e., candidate companies, mutual funds, ETFs or,in some embodiments, options) or their ticker symbols [up to a maximumnumber—e.g., 45 candidate investments for each “Results Page” embodimentdepicted in FIGS. 9 & 10] or both names of matching candidateinvestments and their ticker symbols. If the user simply selects theticker symbol of the candidate investment that corresponds to the user'sinvestment (or selects text of the name of the candidate investment, insome embodiments, or selects both a ticker symbol and a name) on aResults Page, the computer systems accepts the selection and adds thename of the investment or its ticker symbol or both to a linkedinvestment list of the user.

FIG. 4 illustrates a web page (i.e., Financial Planning Questionnaire)where the user is notified of the operation of an integrated robustlookup tool at 448. In FIG. 4, the third row under Description or TickerSymbol in the Financial Planning Questionnaire displays the entry“VGENX—VANGUARD ENERGY” at 449. This entry, which includes the validticker symbol “VGENX,” is in contrast to the entries at 144 and 244 ofFIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, in which “Other” was selected as theInvestment Type for a position in “Vanguard Energy.” This difference inentries is facilitated by the robust ticker symbol lookup capabilitiesthat a system according to some embodiments makes available to a userwho selects “Stock/Mutual Fund” as the Investment Type, coupled with thesystem's efficient addition of a ticker descriptor for an identifiedcompany or mutual fund to a linked investment list.

For example, the computer system may add to a linked investment list theticker symbol and name of an investment when the entered indicationmatches only a single ticker symbol or only a single other preassigneddescriptor of the investment after the computer system searches one ormore investment vehicle databases; or, in response to a user selectingthe ticker symbol for the company or fund that is identified from amongseveral candidates on a “Results Page” or similar window, the computersystem may add the ticker symbol and the name of the company representedby the ticker symbol to the linked investment list.

FIGS. 5-8 each illustrate a web page like that of FIG. 4, and eachparticularly depicts a drop-down menu. In FIG. 5, drop-down menu 542 forType of Retirement Plan reveals that embodiments may be utilized todevelop investment lists for retirement plans or account types thatinclude, without limitation, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, 401k, 403b, 457,SEP/SIMPLE IRA, Keogh, and Thrift Savings plans or accounts.

FIG. 6 provides the names of two individuals (i.e., Joe Smith and JaneSmith) in drop-down menu 642 listing potential account owners.Principles of embodiments are not limited to facilitating the creationof investment lists for accounts of individuals, but also embrace thedevelopment of investment lists for accounts of all types (whether realor simply desired) regardless of ownership (e.g., individual orcorporate). FIG. 7 notes two time periods (“Monthly” and “Annually”) indrop-down menu 742 with affirmative response selections to the headingAre any contributions made to this account? Principles of embodimentsare similarly not limited to facilitating the creation of investmentlists in response to any schedule of contributions to an account.

FIG. 8 is a Financial Planning Questionnaire in which the drop-down menu842 under Investment includes the selection “Other” at 846. Althoughvarious embodiments allow a user to select “Other” as an Investmentcategory, the robust ticker symbol lookup capabilities made available toa user who selects “Stock/Mutual Fund” as the Investment category,coupled with the efficiency with which an identified company or fund maybe added to an investment list, makes selection of “Other” as anInvestment category less attractive to users (nonetheless, “Other” isyet made available as an option in this embodiment as a “safety net” forthe user, as well as to take away from the user a potential reason forfailing to complete the Questionnaire, i.e., insufficient investmentdescription categories).

In FIG. 9, ticker symbols and names of four mutual funds that include“vanguard energy” in the official name of the mutual fund are providedon this sample “Results Page.” In various embodiments, the computersystem may generate this Results Page after an entry of “vanguardenergy” (or “VANGUARD ENERGY” or “Vanguard Energy”; entries are not casesensitive in various embodiments) is processed from a data entry fieldof the fourth row under Description or Ticker Symbol as shown in FIG. 8(e.g., after the computer system, in responding to a selection of “ADD”button 850 adjacent to the data entry field, searched one or moreinvestment vehicle databases using “vanguard energy”). In variousembodiments, a user may cause the computer system to add any one of thefour “Vanguard Energy” funds to the user's linked investment list simplyby selecting the correct ticker symbol on the Results Page. The tickersymbol—mutual fund pair “VGENX—VANGUARD ENERGY” at 849 and 1149 in thethird row under Description or Ticker Symbol in FIGS. 8 and 11,respectively, may have become part of the partially completed investmentlists of these Questionnaires through a user selecting the ticker symbol“VGENX” at 951 in a Results Page similar to the one of FIG. 9.

A user may also modify (e.g., narrow) a search from a Results Page byadding another key word to a search phrase. For example, after acceptingentry of “vanguard energy index” (i.e., after addition and entry of“index” after “vanguard energy”) in the “Modify Search” field 952 ofFIG. 9 (and after activation of the computer system to search one ormore investment vehicle databases in response to a selection of theadjacent “Search” button), the computer system would typically identifya single match: the Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares (tickersymbol VENAX). Consequently, in various embodiments, the computer systemwould add “VENAX—VANGUARD ENERGY INDEX FUND ADMIRAL SHARES” to thelinked investment list.

In FIG. 10, ticker symbols and names of five companies that include“coca cola” in the company name are provided on a “Results Page.” Invarious embodiments, the computer system may generate this Results Pageafter an entry of “coca cola” (or “COCA COLA” or “Coca Cola”; entriesare not case sensitive in various embodiments) is processed from thedata entry field of the fourth row under Description or Ticker Symbol asshown in FIG. 8 (e.g., after the computer system, in responding to aselection of the “ADD” button adjacent to the data entry field, searchedone or more investment vehicle databases using “coca cola”). In variousembodiments, a user may cause the computer system to add any one ofthese five companies to the user's linked investment list simply byselecting any one of the five ticker symbols of this Results Page. Forexample, if a user selected the ticker symbol “KO” at 1053 the computersystem would add “KO—COCA COLA CO” to the user's investment list (asdepicted at 1153 in the fourth row under Description or Ticker Symbol inFIG. 11; a user may also remove investment entries from an investmentlist like that of FIG. 11 by selecting a “Delete” button (or the like)adjacent to the entry to be deleted).

If a user also has a position in a second “Coca Cola” company, the usermay again enter “Coca Cola” in a new data entry field (i.e., under aDescription or Ticker Symbol field for which “Stock/Mutual Fund” hasbeen selected as the Investment category in a Questionnaire like the oneof FIG. 11). After another “Results Page” of five “Coca Cola” companiesis returned in response to the user selecting the “ADD” button (or thelike), the user can select the ticker symbol for the second “Coca Cola”company (or, in various embodiments, text of the name of the second“Coca Cola” company) on the “Results Page” and thereby trigger thecomputer system to add a position in that second “Coca Cola” company toa linked investment list.

As noted previously for FIG. 9, a user may also modify (e.g., narrow) asearch from a Results Page by adding another key word to a searchphrase. For example, after accepting entry of “coca cola enterprises”(i.e., after addition and entry of “enterprises” after “coca cola”) in“Modify Search” field 1052 of FIG. 10 (and after activation of thecomputer system to search one or more investment vehicle databases inresponse to a selection of the adjacent “Search” button or the like),the computer system would typically identify a single match: Coca ColaEnterprises, Inc. (ticker symbol: CCE). Consequently, in variousembodiments, the computer system would add “CCE—COCA COLA ENTERPRISES”to the linked investment list.

In FIG. 11, a CD (i.e., certificate of deposit) and three “Stock/MutualFund” investments are presented in a linked investment list of aFinancial Planning Questionnaire. In contrast to the investments listedon the Retirement Plan Questionnaire of FIG. 2 (wherein two of the threestock/mutual fund positions are not identified by a ticker symbol), aticker symbol is associated with each of the three “Stock/Mutual Fund”investments of FIG. 11. Again, this difference in entries is facilitatedby the robust ticker symbol lookup capabilities that a system accordingto some embodiments makes available to a user who selects “Stock/MutualFund” as the Investment Type, coupled with the system's efficientaddition of a ticker descriptor for an identified company or mutual fundto a linked investment list.

For some of the previously described embodiments, a robust ticker symbollookup tool has been described as matching an entry of a user to tickerdescriptor of a candidate investment where only an exact match (albeitpossibly partial) exists. For example, a search using “vanguard energy”in a robust ticker symbol lookup tool may return a Results Page asdepicted in FIG. 9 composed of four candidate investment vehicles forwhich “vanguard energy” is an exact match to part of the name of aninvestment fund of the Vanguard® Group, whether that investment fund beVanguard Energy Fund Admiral Shares, Vanguard Energy Fund InvestorShares, Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares, or Vanguard EnergyVIPERS (see also Table 6, above).

However, embodiments also include ticker symbol lookup tools capable ofgenerating a list of multiple candidate investment vehicles without anexact, complete match existing with characters of a search term that auser has entered (e.g., a misspelled word of the name of the candidateinvestment vehicle, or an inaccurately entered ticker symbol). That is,in various embodiments, a robust ticker symbol lookup tool may recognizecandidate investment vehicles having ticker descriptors that onlyimperfectly match search characters that a user has entered (e.g.,imperfect matches of 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, 98% or 99% or moreusing a typical default parameter settings of a standard letter-matchingalgorithm wherein a character-to-character match over a search term or adatabase entry may be measured with or without gaps and with or withoutoverhangs according to the typical default parameter settings). Such anembodiment of a robust ticker symbol lookup tool may output a list ofcandidate investment vehicles on a Results Page (e.g., a list orderedaccording to proximity to a 100% match to various ticker descriptors ofcandidate investment vehicles) despite no exact matches occurring withentries in databases of valid ticker symbols for, or key words in thenames of, publicly-traded companies or funds. Furthermore, a tickersymbol, or name, or both a ticker symbol and a name for an investmentvehicle selected from the output list of generated candidates maynonetheless be capable of being efficiently added to a user's linkedinvestment list in such various embodiments (e.g., in response to theuser placing a mouse click on the ticker symbol for, or a word in thename of, a candidate investment vehicle in the Results Page list).

Referring to FIG. 12, a block diagram illustrates an exemplary computersystem 100 upon which process flows in accordance with principles ofembodiments may be implemented. Computer system 100 includes a bus 102or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and aprocessor 104 coupled with bus 102 for processing information. Computersystem 100 also includes a main memory 106, such as a random accessmemory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to bus 102 forstoring information and instructions to be executed by processor 104.Main memory 106 also may be used for storing temporary variables orother intermediate information during execution of instructions to beexecuted by processor 104. Computer system 100 further includes a readonly memory (ROM) 108 or other static storage device coupled to bus 102for storing static information and instructions for processor 104. Astorage device 110, such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, is providedand coupled to bus 102 for storing information and instructions.

Computer system 100 may be coupled via bus 102 to a display 112, such asa cathode ray tube (CRT), for displaying information to a computer user.An input device 114, including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupledto bus 102 for communicating information and command selections toprocessor 104. Another type of user input device is cursor control 116,such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for communicatingdirection information and command selections to processor 104 and forcontrolling cursor movement on display 112. This input device typicallyhas two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and asecond axis (e.g., y), that allows the device to specify positions in aplane.

One or more populating acts may be provided by computer system 100 inresponse to processor 104 executing one or more sequences of one or moreinstructions contained in main memory 106. Such instructions may be readinto main memory 106 from another computer-readable medium, such asstorage device 110. Execution of the sequences of instructions containedin main memory 106 causes processor 104 to perform processes describedherein. One or more processors in a multi-processing arrangement mayalso be employed to execute the sequences of instructions contained inmain memory 106. In other embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be usedin place of, or in combination with, software instructions. Thus,embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardwarecircuitry and software.

The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any mediumthat participates in providing instructions to processor 104 forexecution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limitedto, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media.Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, suchas storage device 110. Volatile media include dynamic memory, such asmain memory 106. Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wireand fiber optics, including the wires that comprise bus 102.Transmission can take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as thosegenerated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) datacommunications. Common forms of computer-readable media include, forexample, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, anyother magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punchcards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, aRAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip orcartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other mediumfrom which a computer can read.

Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying oneor more sequences of one or more instructions to processor 104 forexecution. For example, the instructions may initially be borne on amagnetic disk of a remote computer. The remote computer can load theinstructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over atelephone line using a modem. A modem local to computer system 100 canreceive the data on the telephone line and use an infrared transmitterto convert the data to an infrared signal. An infrared detector coupledto bus 102 can receive the data carried in the infrared signal and placethe data on bus 102. Bus 102 carries the data to main memory 106, fromwhich processor 104 retrieves and executes the instructions. Theinstructions received by main memory 106 may optionally be stored onstorage device 110 either before or after execution by processor 104.

Computer system 100 also includes a communication interface 118 coupledto bus 102. Communication interface 118 provides a two-way datacommunication coupling to a network link 120 that is connected to alocal network 122. For example, communication interface 118 may be anintegrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a modem to provide adata communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line.As another example, communication interface 118 may be a local areanetwork (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to acompatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any suchimplementation, communication interface 118 sends and receiveselectrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital datastreams representing various types of information.

Network link 120 typically provides data communication through one ormore networks to other data devices. For example, network link 120 mayprovide a connection through local network 122 to a host computer 124 orto data equipment operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) 126.ISP 126 in turn provides data communication services through theworldwide packet data communication network, now commonly referred to asthe “Internet” 128. Local network 122 and Internet 128 both useelectrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital datastreams. The signals through the various networks and the signals onnetwork link 120 and through communication interface 118, which carrythe digital data to and from computer system 100, are exemplary forms ofcarrier waves transporting the information.

Computer system 100 can send messages and receive data, includingprogram code, through the network(s), network link 120, andcommunication interface 118. In the Internet example, a server 130 mighttransmit a requested code for an application program through Internet128, ISP 126, local network 122 and communication interface 118. Onesuch downloaded application provides for, or participates in, robustlylooking up ticker symbols for generation of a linked investment list asdescribed herein for various embodiments. The received code may beexecuted by processor 104 as it is received, and/or stored in storagedevice 110, or other non-volatile storage for later execution. In thismanner, computer system 100 may obtain application code in the form of acarrier wave.

Following long-standing patent law convention, the terms “a” and “an”mean “one or more” when used in this application, including the claims.Even though embodiments have been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, andvariations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of thepresent disclosure. Accordingly, it is intended that all suchalternatives, modifications, and variations which fall within the spiritand scope of the described embodiments be embraced by the definedclaims.

1. A computer system for populating an investment list with at least oneinvestment vehicle ticker descriptor, the system comprising a processorand a main memory each coupled with a bus wherein the bus is furtherlinked with both an input device, for communicating information andcommand selections to the processor, and an output device, wherein theprocessor is programmed to perform acts comprising: receiving anindication identifying an investment vehicle, and responsive to receiptof the indication, determining whether the indication matches a singleenhanced ticker descriptor of an investment vehicle; if the indicationmatches only the single enhanced ticker descriptor, adding to theinvestment list at least one of: the enhanced vehicle ticker descriptorthat matches the indication, and a name of the investment vehiclerepresented by the enhanced ticker descriptor that matches theindication; if the indication does not match only the single enhancedticker descriptor, determining whether the indication matches only asingle other preassigned descriptor; if the indication matches only thesingle other preassigned descriptor, adding to the investment list atleast one of: the single other preassigned descriptor that matches theindication, and a name of the investment vehicle represented by thesingle other preassigned descriptor that matches the indication; if theindication does not match only the single enhanced ticker descriptor orthe single other preassigned descriptor, determining whether theindication matches multiple enhanced ticker descriptors, and, if theindication matches multiple enhanced ticker descriptors, generating anoutput of candidate investment vehicles comprising at least one of:enhanced ticker descriptors that match the indication, and names of theinvestment vehicles represented by the enhanced ticker descriptors thatmatch the indication.
 2. The computer system of claim 1, furtherprogrammed to perform acts comprising: receiving a selection of acandidate investment vehicle from the generated output, and, responsiveto the selection, adding to the investment list at least one of: aticker symbol of the selected candidate investment vehicle, and a nameof the selected candidate investment vehicle.
 3. The computer system ofclaim 1, wherein the adding to the investment list also includes addinginformation on market dollar value, or number of shares, of theinvestment vehicle represented by the single enhanced ticker descriptorthat matches the indication.
 4. The computer system of claim 1, whereinthe investment vehicle is traded on a stock exchange selected from thegroup consisting of: Previously Presented York Stock Exchange (NYSE),American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and an electronic stock market originallyknown as the “National Association of Securities Dealers AutomatedQuotations” (NASDAQ).
 5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein thesingle other preassigned descriptor is a Committee for Uniform SecurityIdentification Procedures (CUSIP) number for an investment vehicle.
 6. Acomputer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions,which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform thefollowing operations: receiving an indication identifying an investmentvehicle, and responsive to receipt of the indication, determiningwhether the indication matches a single enhanced ticker descriptor of aninvestment vehicle; if the indication matches only the single enhancedticker descriptor, adding to the investment list at least one of: theenhanced vehicle ticker descriptor that matches the indication, and aname of the investment vehicle represented by the enhanced tickerdescriptor that matches the indication; if the indication does not matchonly the single enhanced ticker descriptor, determining whether theindication matches only a single other preassigned descriptor; if theindication matches only the single other preassigned descriptor, addingto the investment list at least one of: the single other preassigneddescriptor that matches the indication, and a name of the investmentvehicle represented by the single other preassigned descriptor thatmatches the indication; if the indication does not match only the singleenhanced ticker descriptor or the single other preassigned descriptor,determining whether the indication matches multiple enhanced tickerdescriptors, and, if the indication matches multiple enhanced tickerdescriptors, generating an output of candidate investment vehiclescomprising at least one of: enhanced ticker descriptors that match theindication, and names of the investment vehicles represented by theenhanced ticker descriptors that match the indication.
 7. Thecomputer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprisingcomputer-executable instructions which when executed by the computer,cause the computer to perform the following additional operations:receiving a selection of a candidate investment vehicle from thegenerated output, and, responsive to the selection, adding to theinvestment list at least one of: a ticker symbol of the selectedcandidate investment vehicle, and a name of the selected candidateinvestment vehicle.
 8. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, whereinthe adding to the investment list also includes adding information onmarket dollar value, or number of shares, of the investment vehiclerepresented by the single enhanced ticker descriptor that matches theindication.
 9. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein theinvestment vehicle is traded on a stock exchange selected from the groupconsisting of: NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ.
 10. The computer-readable mediumof claim 6, wherein the single other preassigned descriptor is a CUSIPnumber for an investment vehicle.
 11. A method for populating aninvestment list with at least one investment vehicle ticker descriptor,the method comprising: receiving an indication identifying an investmentvehicle by a processor, and responsive to receipt of the indication,determining whether the indication matches a single enhanced tickerdescriptor of an investment vehicle by the processor; if the indicationmatches only the single enhanced ticker descriptor, adding to theinvestment list at least one of: the enhanced vehicle ticker descriptorthat matches the indication, and a name of the investment vehiclerepresented by the enhanced ticker descriptor that matches theindication; if the indication does not match only the single enhancedticker descriptor, determining whether the indication matches only asingle other preassigned descriptor by the processor; if the indicationmatches only the single other preassigned descriptor, adding to theinvestment list at least one of: the single other preassigned descriptorthat matches the indication, and a name of the investment vehiclerepresented by the single other preassigned descriptor that matches theindication; if the indication does not match only the single enhancedticker descriptor or the single other preassigned descriptor,determining whether the indication matches multiple enhanced tickerdescriptors by the processor, and, if the indication matches multipleenhanced ticker descriptors, generating an output of candidateinvestment vehicles comprising at least one of: enhanced tickerdescriptors that match the indication, and names of the investmentvehicles represented by the enhanced ticker descriptors that match theindication.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving aselection of a candidate investment vehicle from the generated output bythe processor, and, responsive to the selection, adding to theinvestment list at least one of: a ticker symbol of the selectedcandidate investment vehicle, and a name of the selected candidateinvestment vehicle.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the adding tothe investment list also includes adding information on market dollarvalue, or number of shares, of the investment vehicle represented by thesingle enhanced ticker descriptor that matches the indication.
 14. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the investment vehicle is traded on a stockexchange selected from the group consisting of: NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ.